hellebore

[ hel-uh-bawr, -bohr ]

/ ˈhɛl əˌbɔr, -ˌboʊr /

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noun

any of numerous plants of the genus Helleborus in the buttercup family, several of which, as the Christmas rose, are cultivated for their foliage and clusters of flowers as well as their tolerance of shade: all Helleborus species are toxic.

false hellebore.

any of several poisonous or medicinal substances extracted or prepared from these plants.

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Origin of hellebore

First recorded before 1000; Old English elleborum, from Latin (h)elleborus, (h)elleborum, reinforced by Old French ellebre, elebore, Middle English el(l)ebre, eleure, or directly from Medieval Latin eleborus, from Greek (h)elléboros; further origin uncertain

Words nearby hellebore

hellbox, hellbroth, hellcat, helldiver, Helle, hellebore, helleborein, helleborin, helleborine, Hellen, Hellene

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use hellebore in a sentence

She needs six grains of hellebore, Monsieur; her brain is turned.
Amphitryon|Moliere
From the infusion or decoction of black hellebore (Helleborus officinalis).
Cooley's Cyclopdia of Practical Receipts and Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades..., Sixth Edition, Volume I|Arnold Cooley
A little hellebore in powder, to make her sneeze, is in this case very proper.
The Works of Aristotle the Famous Philosopher|Anonymous
The wild hellebore carries its greenish-white flowers upon stalks as high as one's head.
Your National Parks|Enos A. Mills

But recently I heard of a lady who was severely poisoned in using dry Hellebore.
A Woman's Hardy Garden|Helena Rutherfurd Ely

British Dictionary definitions for hellebore

hellebore

/ (ˈhɛlɪˌbɔː) /

noun

any plant of the Eurasian ranunculaceous genus Helleborus, esp H. niger (black hellebore), typically having showy flowers and poisonous partsSee also Christmas rose

any of various liliaceous plants of the N temperate genus Veratrum, esp V. album, that have greenish flowers and yield alkaloids used in the treatment of heart disease

Word Origin for hellebore

C14: from Greek helleboros, of uncertain origin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012